1, 2. (a) Waqala wadala bani uThixo, ibe wamsebenzisa njani loo mntu? (b) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba iingelosi zilungelelanisiwe?

UYEHOVA, onguMdali wendalo iphela, wenza izinto ngolungelelwano. Waqala wadala uYesu. IBhayibhile ithi uYesu ‘nguLizwi,’ kuba nguye osisithethi sikaThixo. ULizwi uchithe izigidi ngezigidi zeminyaka ekhonza uYehova, kuba iBhayibhile ithi: “Ekuqaleni wayekho uLizwi, uLizwi wayekunye noThixo.” Iphinde ithi: “Zonke izinto zabakho ngaye [uLizwi], yaye ngaphandle kwakhe akubangakho nanye into.” Kwiminyaka engaphezulwana nje kwe-2,000 eyadlulayo, uThixo wathumela uLizwi emhlabeni, apho wafika eyindoda efezekileyo waza wenza ukuthanda kukaYise.—Yoh. 1:1-3, 14.

² Ngaphambi kokuba eze emhlabeni, uNyana kaThixo ‘wayengumsebénzi onobuchule’ kaThixo. (IMize. 8:30) Esebenzisa uYesu, uYehova wadala izigidi ngezigidi zeengelosi ezulwini. (Kol. 1:16) Xa sithetha ngeengelosi, esinye iSibhalo sithi: “Kwakukho amawaka aliwaka awayelungiselela phambi kwakhe [uYehova], neshumi lamawaka eliphindwe ngeshumi lamawaka elalimi kanye phambi kwakhe.” (Dan. 7:10) IBhayibhile ibhekisela kwezi ngelosi zikaThixo ngokuthi ‘yimikhosi’ kaYehova elungelelaniswe kakuhle.—INdu. 103:21.

3. Likhulu kangakanani inani leenkwenkwezi neleeplanethi, ibe zilungelelaniswe njani?

 ³ Kuthekani ngendalo ebonakalayo, njengeenkwenkwezi neeplanethi? Xa lithetha ngeenkwenkwezi, elinye iphephandaba laseHouston, eTexas, lathi uphando lwakutshanje lubonisa ukuba kukho “iibhiliyon ngeebhiliyon zeenkwenkwezi, eziphindaphindwe kathathu kunokuba iingcali zesayensi bezikade zicinga.” Iinkwenkwezi zilungelelaniswe zaba ziigalaksi, ibe galaksi nganye ineebhiliyon okanye iitriliyon zeenkwenkwezi, kunye neeplanethi ezininzi. Inkoliso yezi galaksi iyadibana ibumbe amaqela, aze naloo maqela adibane abumbe amaqela amakhulu.

4. Kutheni sinokulindela ukuba abakhonzi bakaThixo abasemhlabeni balungelelaniswe kakuhle?

⁴ Kanye njengokuba iingelosi zilungelelanisiwe emazulwini, nazo iinkwenkwezi neeplanethi zilungelelaniswe ngendlela engummangaliso. (Isa. 40:26) Ngoko besiya kulindela ukuba uYehova abalungelelanise kakuhle nabakhonzi bakhe abasemhlabeni. Ufuna balungelelane, ibe loo nto ibalulekile kuba mninzi umsebenzi obalulekileyo abamele bawenze. Imizekelo esinayo yabakhonzi bakaYehova bamandulo nabale mihla ibonisa kakuhle ukuba ebesoloko ebaxhasa abantu bakhe ibe “unguThixo, kungekhona owesidubedube, kodwa owoxolo.”—Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 14:33, 40.

5. Yaphazamiseka njani injongo kaThixo ngomhlaba nabantu?

⁵ Xa uYehova wadala abantu bokuqala, wathi kubo: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba nize niwoyise, nibe nobukhosi kwiintlanzi zolwandle nakwizidalwa eziphaphazelayo emazulwini nakuzo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Gen. 1:28) Le ntsapho ingabantu kwakuza kufuneka yande ngendlela elungeleleneyo, ize izalise umhlaba ngeParadesi. Xa uAdam noEva bengazange bamthobele uThixo, le njongo yaphazamiseka okomzuzwana. (Gen. 3:1-6) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, “uYehova wabona ukuba ububi bomntu bandile emhlabeni yaye zonke iingcamango zentliziyo yakhe zityekele ebubini ngalo lonke ixesha.” Ngenxa yoko, “umhlaba wawonakele emehlweni oThixo oyinyaniso yaye umhlaba wawuzaliswe lugonyamelo.” Ngoko, uThixo wagqiba kwelokuba azise umkhukula womhlaba wonke owawuza kutshabalalisa bonke abantu abangendawo.—Gen. 6:5, 11-13, 17.

6, 7. (a) Yintoni eyenza uNowa wakholeka emehlweni kaYehova? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) Yintoni eyenzeka kubantu ababengenalukholo ngexesha likaNowa?

⁶ Noko ke, “uNowa yena wakholeka emehlweni kaYehova” ngenxa yokuba “wayeyindoda elilungisa” kuba “wangqineka engenasiphoso phakathi kwabantu bexesha lakhe.” Ekubeni “uNowa wahamba noThixo oyinyaniso,” uYehova wamyalela ukuba akhe umkhombe omkhulu. (Gen. 6:8, 9, 14-16) Lo mkhombe wawenzelwe ukuba ukwazi ukukhusela abantu kunye nezilwanyana ezazilapho. Ngokuthobeka, “wenza ke uNowa njengako konke oko uYehova abemyalele kona,” ibe encediswa yintsapho yakhe wawakha wawugqiba lo mkhombe ngendlela elungeleleneyo. Emva kokuba yonke imiphefumlo eyayiza kusinda ingenile emkhombeni, “uYehova waluvala ucango.”—Gen. 7:5, 16.

⁷ Xa wafikayo uMkhukula ngo-2370 B.C.E., uYehova “wasusa yonke into ekhoyo phezu komhlaba,” kodwa wamgcina ephila uNowa nentsapho yakhe. (Gen. 7:23) Wonke umntu namhlanje uyinzala kaNowa, oonyana bakhe, nabafazi babo. Kodwa bonke abo bantu bangenalukholo ababengaphandle komkhombe bafa, kuba zange bamphulaphule uNowa, “umshumayeli wobulungisa.”—2 Pet. 2:5.

8. Luluphi ulungelelwano olwalukho kwaSirayeli xa uThixo wayalela abantu bakhe ukuba bangene kwiLizwe Lesithembiso?

 ⁸ Kwiminyaka engaphezu kweyi-800 emva koNogumbe, uThixo wenza uSirayeli waba luhlanga. Kwakufuneka olu hlanga lulungelelane kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi nonqulo lwalo. Ngokomzekelo, ukongezelela kubabingeleli nabaLevi abaninzi kwaSirayeli, kwakukho nezicakakazi “ezazikhonza emnyangweni wentente yokuhlangana.” (Eks. 38:8) Noko ke, xa uYehova uThixo wayalela amaSirayeli ukuba angene eKanan, eso sizukulwana asizange sithembeke kuye, ibe wathi kuso: “Aniyi kungena ezweni endaliphakamisela isandla sam ndifunga ukuba ndinihlalise kulo, ngaphandle kukaKalebhi unyana kaYefune noYoshuwa unyana kaNun,” kuba bazisa ingxelo entle emva kokuya kuhlola iLizwe Lesithembiso. (Num. 14:30, 37, 38) Ethobela umyalelo kaThixo, kamva uMoses wamisela uYoshuwa ukuba angene ezihlangwini zakhe. (Num. 27:18-23) Xa uYoshuwa wayeza kukhokela amaSirayeli eKanan, waxelelwa oku: “Yiba nesibindi womelele. Musa ukothuka okanye unkwantye, kuba uYehova uThixo wakho unawe naphi na apho uya khona.”—Yosh. 1:9.

9. URahabhi wayevakalelwa njani ngoYehova nangabantu bakhe?

⁹ UYehova uThixo wayemxhasa uYoshuwa naphi na apho wayesiya khona. Ngokomzekelo, cinga nje ngento eyenzeka ngoxa amaSirayeli ayesenkampini kufutshane naseKanan, isixeko saseYeriko. Ngo-1473 B.C.E., uYoshuwa wathumela amadoda amabini ukuba aye kuhlola iYeriko, ibe apho adibana noRahabhi owayengunongogo. Wawafihla eluphahleni lwendlu yakhe, ukuze angabanjwa ngamadoda awayethunywe nguKumkani waseYeriko. URahabhi wathi kwezi ntlola zingamaSirayeli: “Ndiyazi ukuba uYehova ngokuqinisekileyo uza kuninika eli lizwe . . . , kuba siyivile indlela uYehova awawomisa ngayo amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu phambi kwenu . . . noko nakwenzayo kookumkani ababini bama-Amori.” Wongeza esithi: “UYehova uThixo wenu nguThixo emazulwini phezulu nasemhlabeni  phantsi.” (Yosh. 2:9-11) Ekubeni uRahabhi wema ngakwicala lentlangano kaYehova eyayikho ngelo xesha, uThixo waqinisekisa ukuba yena nentsapho yakowabo bayasinda xa amaSirayeli oyisa iYeriko. (Yosh. 6:25) URahabhi wayenokholo, emoyika uYehova, ibe wayebahlonela abantu bakaThixo.

10. Wathini uYesu kwiinkokeli zonqulo zemihla yakhe, ibe kwakutheni ukuze athethe loo mazwi?

¹⁰ Ekhokelwa nguYoshuwa, amaSirayeli ayegqugqisa, esoyisa uhlanga emva kolunye aza azinza eKanan. Kodwa kwenzeka ntoni kamva? Kumakhulu eminyaka eyalandelayo, amaSirayeli ayeyaphula ngokuphindaphindiweyo imithetho kaThixo. Xa uYehova wathumela uNyana wakhe emhlabeni, amaSirayeli ayengamthobeli uThixo nabaprofeti bakhe kangangokuba uYesu wada wabiza iYerusalem ngokuthi ‘ngumbulali wabaprofeti.’ (Funda uMateyu 23:37, 38.) UThixo wazigatya iinkokeli zonqulo zamaYuda ngenxa yokungathembeki kwazo. Yiloo nto kanye eyenza uYesu wathi kuzo: “Ubukumkani bukaThixo buya kuthatyathwa kuni buze bunikwe uhlanga oluvelisa iziqhamo zabo.”—Mat. 21:43.

11, 12. (a) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala, uYehova wayisusa intsikelelo yakhe kuhlanga lwamaYuda waza wayinika enye intlangano? (b) Yayibunjwa ngoobani le ntlangano intsha?

¹¹ Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, uYehova walulahla uhlanga lukaSirayeli olwalungathembekanga. Noko ke, oko kwakungathethi ukuba akazi kuba nantlangano yabakhonzi abathembekileyo emhlabeni. UYehova wanyula intlangano entsha eyayisekelwe kuYesu Kristu nakwiimfundiso zakhe. Loo ntlangano yaqala ngePentekoste ka-33 C.E. Ngaloo mhla, abafundi bakaYesu abamalunga ne-120 babehlanganisene eYerusalem, kwaza “ngequbuliso kwabakho ingxolo evela ezulwini enjengaleyo kanye yempepho ebhudla ngamandla, yaza yayizalisa indlu iphela.” Emva koko, ‘kwabonakala kubo iilwimi ezingathi zezomlilo kwaye zabèka, zaza zahlala kuye ngamnye wabo.’ (IZe. 2:1-4) Esi siganeko singummangaliso saba bubungqina obungenakuphikiswa bokuba uYehova wayeyixhasa le ntlangano intsha, eyayibunjwa ngabafundi bakaKristu.

¹² Ngolo suku lwalubangel’ imincili, “kongezelelwa imiphefumlo emalunga namawaka amathathu” kwinani labalandeli bakaYesu. Ukongezelela koko, “uYehova waqhubeka ehlomela kubo mihla le abo basindiswayo.” (IZe. 2:41, 47) Umsebenzi wokushumayela owenziwa ngaba bafundi waphumelela kangangokuba “ilizwi likaThixo laqhubeka likhula, nenani labafundi landa kakhulu eYerusalem.” ‘Nesihlwele esikhulu sababingeleli saluthobela ukholo.’ (IZe. 6:7) Abantu abaninzi bayamkela inyaniso abayiva kumalungu ale ntlangano intsha. Kamva, uYehova waphinda wabonisa ukuba uyayixhasa le ntlangano xa waqalisa ukungenisa ‘abantu beentlanga’ ebandleni lamaKristu.—Funda iZenzo 10:44, 45.

13. Wawuyintoni umsebenzi wentlangano kaThixo entsha?

¹³ Abalandeli bakaKristu babewuqonda kakuhle owona msebenzi babewunikwe nguThixo. Kaloku uYesu wayebamisele umzekelo, kuba emva nje kokubhaptizwa kwakhe, waqalisa ukushumayela ‘ngoBukumkani bamazulu.’ (Mat. 4:17) Wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba benze lo msebenzi. Wathi kubo: “Niya kuba ngamangqina am eYerusalem nakulo lonke elakwaYuda naseSamariya kude kuse nakwezona nxalenye zikude zomhlaba.” (IZe. 1:8) Abo balandeli bakaYesu babeyiqonda kakuhle into ekwakufuneka bayenze. Ngokomzekelo, kwa-Antiyokwe ePisidiya, uPawulos noBharnabhas  bathi kumaYuda: “Kwakuyimfuneko ngelizwi likaThixo ukuba lithethwe kuni kuqala. Ekubeni nina nilityhalela kude kuni yaye ningazigwebi ningababufanelekeleyo ubomi obungunaphakade, khangelani! siphethukela ezintlangeni. Enyanisweni, uYehova ubeke umyalelo phezu kwethu wathi, ‘Ndikumisele njengokhanyiselo lweentlanga, ukuze wena ube lusindiso ukusa eziphelweni zomhlaba.’” (IZe. 13:14, 45-47) Ukususela ngenkulungwane yokuqala, inxalenye esemhlabeni yentlangano kaThixo ibixelela abantu ngamalungiselelo awenzileyo okusindisa ubomi babo.

14. Yintoni eyenzeka eYerusalem ngenkulungwane yokuqala, kodwa ngoobani abasindayo?

¹⁴ AmaYuda amaninzi akazange azamkele iindaba ezilungileyo, ibe loo nto yayiza kuwazisela intlekele, kuba uYesu wayebalumkise ngala mazwi abafundi bakhe: “Xa niyibona iYerusalem ingqongwe yimikhosi emise iintente, yazini ke ukuba kusondele ukuphanziswa kwayo. Mabandule abo bakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kuyo mabemke, nabo bakwiindawo ezisemaphandleni mabangangeni kuyo.” (Luka 21:20, 21) Amazwi kaYesu azaliseka. Ngenxa yokuvukela kwamaYuda, imikhosi yamaRoma eyayikhokelwa nguCestius Gallus yarhangqa iYerusalem ngo-66 C.E. Noko ke, loo mikhosi yarhoxa, yaza loo nto yanika abalandeli bakaYesu ithuba lokubaleka eYerusalem nakwaYuda. Umbhali-mbali uEusebius, uthi amaninzi awela uMlambo iYordan ebalekela ePela yasePereya. Ngo-70 C.E., umkhosi wamaRoma owawukhokelwa nguNjengele Titus wabuya waza wayitshabalalisa iYerusalem. Noko ke, amaKristu asinda kuba asiphulaphula isilumkiso sikaYesu.

15. Abantu abaninzi baba ngamaKristu phantsi kwaziphi iimeko?

¹⁵ Nakuba abalandeli bakaKristu benkulungwane yokuqala babejamelene nentshutshiso kunye neengxaki ezininzi, baninzi abantu ababa ngamaKristu. (IZe. 11:19-21; 19:1, 19, 20) Oku kwakubangelwa kukuba ibandla lamaKristu lalixhaswa nguThixo.—IMize. 10:22.

16. Yintoni eyayifuneka kumKristu ngamnye ukuze ahlale esondele kuThixo?

¹⁶ Ukuze loo maKristu ahlale esondele kuThixo, kwakufuneka umgudu kumntu ngamnye. Kwakubalulekile ukuba mKristu ngamnye afundisise iZibhalo, aye rhoqo kwiintlanganiso aze azimisele ekushumayeleni ngoBukumkani. Ezi zinto zaziwanceda ahlale enolwalamano oluhle noThixo aze ahlale emanyene, kanye njengokuba kunjalo nanamhlanje. Abantu ababekula mabandla alungelelaniswe kakuhle babencedwa kukusebenza nzima kwabadala nezicaka zolungiselelo. (Fil. 1:1; 1 Pet. 5:1-4) Kumel’ ukuba kwakuba mnandi xa kufike abaveleli abahambahambayo, abafana noPawulos, ebandleni! (IZe. 15:36, 40, 41) Ibangel’ umdla indlela afana ngayo amabandla ethu namhlanje nalawo enkulungwane yokuqala. Iyasivuyisa into yokuba uYehova ebesoloko ebalungelelanisa kakuhle abakhonzi bakhe! *

17. Yintoni ekuza kuthethwa ngayo kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁷ Njengoko eli hlabathi likaSathana lisondela esiphelweni kule mihla yokugqibela, inxalenye esemhlabeni yentlangano kaYehova ityhalela phambili ngesantya. Ngaba uhambisana nayo? Ngaba ukholo lwakho luyakhula? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kukubonisa indlela onokukwenza ngayo oku.